Fire at Timbers
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Friday at Providence Park.
TV / radio: KPDX 49, UniMas (Spanish) / AM 750.
Tickets: Limited seats available. Timbers.com or 503-553-5555.
Timbers notes: Portland (9 wins, 8 losses, 6 ties, 33 points) enters the weekend in fifth place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Seattle. After a run of six wins in eight games moved the Timbers within sight of the league lead, Portland has two losses and two draws in its last four games. Portland is 6-1-4 at home this season, while Chicago (six losses and three draws) is winless on the road. … Even with Gaston Fernandez returning to Argentina by mutual consent this week, the most interesting lineup question remains who starts at striker: Fanendo Adi (9 goals), Maximiliano Urruti (3 goals) or Lucas Melano, who can also play on the wing. This is the Timbers first home match since the adding the Argentine, who has appeared in two games as a late substitute. Coach Caleb Porter said Melano’s role will increase as he gets more comfortable in Portland, but did not specify what that means for this match. “A lot comes down to where he’s at physically, but also getting settled” in Portland, Porter said.
Right back Alvas Powell, who left Sunday’s match at halftime with back spasms, is expected to be available, according to Porter. … In the “Don’t jinx it” department, the Timbers have not lost to the Fire (three wins, two ties). Since this is an interconference match between two teams who need points, Porter said he expects both teams to play to win rather than settling for a tie.
Fire notes: At 6-11-4, Chicago is ninth in the Eastern Conference. But the Fire have won two of their last three and on Sunday beat league-leading Dallas 2-0, getting an early goal from David Accam and a late penalty kick from Shaun Maloney. Accam, a 24-year-old Ghanian, leads the Fire with six goals. Veteran Jeff Larentowicz, who has moved from midfield to central defense, is second on the team with four goals. Chicago recently signed Brazilian Gilberto, who played last season in Toronto. He has joined the Fire but his availability is uncertain. The Fire, who have played one fewer game than the Timbers, are equal to Portland with 24 goals scored. “Because they have talented, athletic individuals, that means on the counter (attack) they can be dangerous,” Porter said. Injuries could explain some of that as DPs Accam and Maloney have both missed time and forward Mike Magee is sidelined for the second time this season. Maloney was a teammate of Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell in 2007 at Aston Villa and again this January with Wigan Athletic.
